A rare 'Ru'-type Archaistic 'hu' vase mark and period of Qianlong

of bronze 'hu' form and ovoid section, the body rising from a splayed foot to a flared mouth, the waisted neck flanked by a pair of dragon-head handles, their eyes finely incised, the body divided on each side by a moulded raised strapwork band with four diamond-shaped recessed lozenges encircling the centre, covered overall in an even thick grey glaze, the unglazed foot ring painted with a dark brown slip, the recessed base with a six-character seal-mark in underglaze-blue 

A similar vase of Qianlong mark and period was sold in these rooms 29th October 2001, lot 576, and 11th May 1983, lot 123. 

For the prototype of this form compare the Western Zhou bronze hu with similar banding, but with loop handles, sold in these rooms 9th December 1975, lot 7; another with animal handles, excavated in Shandong Province and illustrated in Wenwu, 1972, no.5, pl.6, fig.2.